Konta on course in Nottingham

Johanna Konta, the headline act at this year’s WTA Nottingham Open, continues to live up to her top seeding by advancing to the quarterfinals.

Playing on grass in front of her home crowd, the Brit brushed aside doubles partner Yanina Wickmayer 6-4 6-1 to set up a last-eight clash with Ash Barty.

Barty yesterday returned to the Nottingham quarters for the second year running with a 55-minute thrashing of Croatian qualifier Jana Fett.

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For Konta, this week’s campaign in Nottingham – where she’s the lone top-10 player in the draw – has been an impressive return to form after a forgettable claycourt season.

She bombed in the first round of the French Open to world No.109 Hsieh Su-Wei, a result that dragged her European claycourt record to a meagre 2-4 in 2017.

Yet her two wins this week have marked the first time since March, when she won the title in Miami, that she has won consecutive matches.

“I was able to deal with the conditions well. I really enjoy playing in front of this home crowd,” Konta said.

Konta is just one of two seeds remaining in the draw after No.4 seed Alison Riske was dumped from the tournament by Magdalena Rybarikova on Thursday.

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Lucie Safarova, seeded fifth, survived a third-set battle against Hsieh.